Monroe: No Hill means Spurs OK with standing pat

[timvp]

Monroe: No Hill means Spurs OK with standing pat
San Antonio Express-News

Monroe Nothing excites an NBA team's fans quite like the signing of a high-profile free agent.

The draft has its own thrills, but unless a team has lucked out in the lottery when franchise-changing players are available, there remains a wait-and-see factor. Ask any fan of the Bucks or Wizards. Even Oregonians know better than to plan a parade route through downtown Portland for next June.

But when your team signs a free agent whose abilities are well established?

Expectations rise, often beyond reason.

The last free-agent signing that truly changed the landscape at the very top of the league?

Shaquille O'Neal, signed away from the Orlando Magic in the summer of 1996, was at the center of Lakers teams that won three-straight titles. Even so, it took four seasons in L.A. for O'Neal to win his first ring.

Spurs fans remember when the Magic, burned so badly when O'Neal jumped ship, had designs of building a dynasty around Tim Duncan and Grant Hill. Both were free agents in the summer of 2000.

Orlando landed Hill. Duncan chose to remain here.

Four Spurs titles and five ankle operations later, Hill had a second opportunity to team with Duncan. This time, it looks as if he passed.

On the market again, Hill reportedly has decided he will sign with the Suns when free agents officially can put pen to paper next Wednesday.

Formal courtship between the Spurs and Hill never ensued. The Pistons, in fact, were far more disheartened by Hill's decision to go to Phoenix than anyone with an office on Spurs Lane.

Suns insiders believe assistant coach Alvin Gentry, who was on the Pistons' coaching staff through Hill's first five seasons in the league, was a major factor luring Hill to the Valley of the Sun. Don't doubt that Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, a Team USA assistant under Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, prevailed on Coach K to have a few words with the former Blue Devils star.

There are intangible factors at work, too. Hill may well believe it will be more fun running the floor with Steve Nash than with Tony Parker. It's hard to argue the notion. Nash is the league's best passer and its deepest thinker. Parker gets more cerebral on the court every season but remains more pure athlete than pure player. Plus, the Spurs already have Bruce Bowen at small forward and Manu Ginobili and Michael Finley at big guard. Those are Hill's positions. As fragile as his ankles have been the past seven seasons, Hill still wants to play, rather than sit.

Money clearly was no factor. Hill reportedly will get the biannual salary cap exception from the Suns, worth about $1.8 million. Had the Spurs made an offer, it likely would have been for the veteran's minimum, about $1.2 million for a player with 10 or more years of service. Hill has 12.

Hill could have gotten considerably more from the Pistons, at least double what the Suns offered. When Hill swears what he most wants is the opportunity to play for a championship, the fact he spurned a couple million bucks verifies the assertion.

You have to wonder why Hill regards Phoenix as the best place to accomplish his ultimate goal, though. After all, the Spurs have eliminated the Suns en route to their two most recent titles.

Maybe Hill believes the Suns would have won the 2007 NBA title had Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw not been suspended from Game 4 of the Spurs-Suns Western Conference semifinal series.

Hill, if healthy, will make the Suns better, and D'Antoni can use him during the regular season as Gregg Popovich uses Robert Horry — sparingly, with an eye on the postseason.

Now, the West is getting even more difficult to escape in April and May, and the Spurs don't appear to be playing games when they insist they want to give last season's players a chance to repeat. There may be a change or two at the end of the bench, but the core will remain.

It is a noble concept, and historically sound, too. After the Bulls won their first title, 11 of 12 players from the 1991 championship team returned for a successful title defense. Nine of the 11 came back for the 1993 three-peat.

The Spurs have paid attention.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA070607.01D.COL.BKNmonroe.spurs.35567a6.html

[timvp]

After all, the Spurs have eliminated the Suns en route to their two most recent titles.

Actually, it's the three most recent titles. I know it's hard to keep up with all these trophies.

:smokin

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Typical Excuse for News.


It is a noble concept, and historically sound, too. After the Bulls won their first title, 11 of 12 players from the 1991 championship team returned for a successful title defense. Nine of the 11 came back for the 1993 three-peat.

The Spurs have paid attention.

The only thing historical about the Spurs and repeating is that every year they win a title, they get 'content' in the off-season, don't do anything to noticeably make the team better, and then have to re-tool the following summer after getting beat in the playoffs. :pctoss

[Russ]

Monroe: No Hill means Spurs OK with standing pat
San Antonio Express-News

Four Spurs titles and five ankle operations later, Hill had a second opportunity to team with Duncan. This time, it looks as if he passed.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA070607.01D.COL.BKNmonroe.spurs.35567a6.html

We expect such inaccuracies from the national media, but et tu Monroe?

[timvp]

We expect such inaccuracies from the national media, but et tu Monroe?

:lol Good catch.

Did the Express-News fire all their editors?

[J.T.]

The fact that the Spurs won several games in the playoffs with Ginobili seeming to not show up at all makes me optimistic about next season. Ginobili scores three points in Finals game 3, those points end up being the difference and the game. When your number 2/number 3 guy has a several off games and the team still wins, that says a lot about the other guys in the rotation.

A lot of guys stepped up their game in the playoffs. If someone told me in April that we'd get to the finals with impressive play by Finley and Oberto, and that Parker would dominate the Finals and win MVP, I'd probably have called them crazy.

[Russ]

Monroe: No Hill means Spurs OK with standing pat
San Antonio Express-News

Hill, if healthy, will make the Suns better, and D'Antoni can use him during the regular season as Gregg Popovich uses Robert Horry — sparingly, with an eye on the postseason.

When has D'Antoni done anything but try to win as many regular season games as possible? :rolleyes

[timvp]

Maybe Hill believes the Suns would have won the 2007 NBA title had Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw not been suspended from Game 4 of the Spurs-Suns Western Conference semifinal series.

Hey look, another error. And San Antonio wonders why it's considered a small market . . .

[SpursFanInAustin]

Typical Excuse for News.



The only thing historical about the Spurs and repeating is that every year they win a title, they get 'content' in the off-season, don't do anything to noticeably make the team better, and then have to re-tool the following summer after getting beat in the playoffs. :pctoss

I disagree a little bit with that assumption that the Spurs downfall to repeating has been standing pat in the offseason, especially after the 2003 championship, Half the team was gone from that team. 6 of the 12 players left the team due to free agency or retirement. Robinson, Kerr, Ferry, Smith, Jackson and Speedy were replaced by Nesterovic, Horry, Turkoglu, Hart, Brown, and Ward. Remember Pop saying after every game that season that the Spurs "are not the defending champions, this is a new team."

Hell, after 2005, we were supposed to have been better with the team basically remaining the same and then adding Finley and Van Exel.

After 1999, the team added Terry Porter, Chucky Brown and Samaki Walker to replace Elliott (after kidney transplant) and Will Perdue, and insurance for Jaren Jackson's regression.

So this truely is the first time this team really has stood pat. But the offseason isn't close to being over. Anything can happen between now and the start of training camp.

[Russ]

Hey look, another error. And San Antonio wonders why it's considered a small market . . .
This is like one of those kiddie find the "mistakes" in the picture. Has Monroe been sampling the sauce? :lol

[Russ]

Actually, I'm discerning a pattern here -- two means three, four means three, and four means five. Well, maybe it's not a pattern . . .

[BeerIsGood!]

Typical Excuse for News.



The only thing historical about the Spurs and repeating is that every year they win a title, they get 'content' in the off-season, don't do anything to noticeably make the team better, and then have to re-tool the following summer after getting beat in the playoffs. :pctoss

2000 - Duncan was out so that's not against them

2004 - They tried to lure the big free agent and make the big change but it backfired. Badly. But they still tried and didn't stand pat.

2006 - They brought in Finley and Oberto, and other than that I'm not sure what else you think they could have done to make the team any better. In hindsight they got caught with the small ball mismatch, but that wasn't going to be foreseen beforehand.

IMO it wasn't the offseason that lost back to back chances for the Spurs, it was an injury and two fluke plays that were bad breaks that went against them.

[timvp]

Suns insiders believe assistant coach Alvin Gentry, who was on the Pistons' coaching staff through Hill's first five seasons in the league, was a major factor luring Hill to the Valley of the Sun.

I forced myself to read that article a third time and guess what ... another error :elephant

Alvin Gentry was coaching the Miami Heat when Grant Hill was a rookie in Detroit.

Okay, that's enough error finding for one night. :rollin

[Russ]

The only thing historical about the Spurs and repeating is that every year they win a title, they get 'content' in the off-season, don't do anything to noticeably make the team better, and then have to re-tool the following summer after getting beat in the playoffs. :pctoss
I predict the following -- Spurs send Jackie Butler to the Lakers in a sign and trade deal for Chris Mihm. Both flourish in their new surroundings and the two teams fight it out in the playoffs. Then Monroe writes an article about the Spurs dynasty under Tim Mihm.

[Fast Dunk]

Monroe: No Hill means Spurs OK with standing pat
San Antonio Express-News

Monroe Nothing excites an NBA team's fans quite like the signing of a high-profile free agent.

The draft has its own thrills, but unless a team has lucked out in the lottery when franchise-changing players are available, there remains a wait-and-see factor. Ask any fan of the Bucks or Wizards. Even Oregonians know better than to plan a parade route through downtown Portland for next June.

But when your team signs a free agent whose abilities are well established?

Expectations rise, often beyond reason.

The last free-agent signing that truly changed the landscape at the very top of the league?

Shaquille O'Neal, signed away from the Orlando Magic in the summer of 1996, was at the center of Lakers teams that won three-straight titles. Even so, it took four seasons in L.A. for O'Neal to win his first ring.

Spurs fans remember when the Magic, burned so badly when O'Neal jumped ship, had designs of building a dynasty around Tim Duncan and Grant Hill. Both were free agents in the summer of 2000.

Orlando landed Hill. Duncan chose to remain here.

Four Spurs titles and five ankle operations later, Hill had a second opportunity to team with Duncan. This time, it looks as if he passed.

On the market again, Hill reportedly has decided he will sign with the Suns when free agents officially can put pen to paper next Wednesday.

Formal courtship between the Spurs and Hill never ensued. The Pistons, in fact, were far more disheartened by Hill's decision to go to Phoenix than anyone with an office on Spurs Lane.

Suns insiders believe assistant coach Alvin Gentry, who was on the Pistons' coaching staff through Hill's first five seasons in the league, was a major factor luring Hill to the Valley of the Sun. Don't doubt that Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, a Team USA assistant under Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, prevailed on Coach K to have a few words with the former Blue Devils star.

There are intangible factors at work, too. Hill may well believe it will be more fun running the floor with Steve Nash than with Tony Parker. It's hard to argue the notion. Nash is the league's best passer and its deepest thinker. Parker gets more cerebral on the court every season but remains more pure athlete than pure player. Plus, the Spurs already have Bruce Bowen at small forward and Manu Ginobili and Michael Finley at big guard. Those are Hill's positions. As fragile as his ankles have been the past seven seasons, Hill still wants to play, rather than sit.

Money clearly was no factor. Hill reportedly will get the biannual salary cap exception from the Suns, worth about $1.8 million. Had the Spurs made an offer, it likely would have been for the veteran's minimum, about $1.2 million for a player with 10 or more years of service. Hill has 12.

Hill could have gotten considerably more from the Pistons, at least double what the Suns offered. When Hill swears what he most wants is the opportunity to play for a championship, the fact he spurned a couple million bucks verifies the assertion.

You have to wonder why Hill regards Phoenix as the best place to accomplish his ultimate goal, though. After all, the Spurs have eliminated the Suns en route to their two most recent titles.

Maybe Hill believes the Suns would have won the 2007 NBA title had Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw not been suspended from Game 4 of the Spurs-Suns Western Conference semifinal series.

Hill, if healthy, will make the Suns better, and D'Antoni can use him during the regular season as Gregg Popovich uses Robert Horry — sparingly, with an eye on the postseason.

Now, the West is getting even more difficult to escape in April and May, and the Spurs don't appear to be playing games when they insist they want to give last season's players a chance to repeat. There may be a change or two at the end of the bench, but the core will remain.

It is a noble concept, and historically sound, too. After the Bulls won their first title, 11 of 12 players from the 1991 championship team returned for a successful title defense. Nine of the 11 came back for the 1993 three-peat.

The Spurs have paid attention.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA070607.01D.COL.BKNmonroe.spurs.35567a6.html
NO REPEAT!!

[AnkleBreaker21]

NO REPEAT!!
yah your cavs wont be in the finals again :lol :lol

[spurscenter]

I forced myself to read that article a third time and guess what ... another error :elephant

Alvin Gentry was coaching the Miami Heat when Grant Hill was a rookie in Detroit.

Okay, that's enough error finding for one night. :rollin

LINK?
:pctoss :wakeup :ihit
:madrun :lol

[Spurminator]

Clearly the editor(s) had July 5th off.

[ShoogarBear]

Hey look, another error. And San Antonio wonders why it's considered a small market . . .Monroe blames it on that Asian guy they hired.

Seriously, this many errors is just horrid. Somebody needs to e-mail him.

[wildbill2u]

No Grant Hill? Boo hoo! where would he have fit here?

Where will he fit in Phoenix? Who is Phoenix going to have to unload to take him? Is he simply a replacement for one of their major players like Marion who is reputedly on the block?

Do you remember when Pop told the squad that there was no 'saviour' out there on the trading block and the team they had was what they'd have to win the championship with? And they did!

They may tinker around with Beno and Barry trades, but the FO obviously thinks they have a pretty good team.

[SAGambler]

No Grant Hill? Boo hoo! where would he have fit here?

Where will he fit in Phoenix? Who is Phoenix going to have to unload to take him? Is he simply a replacement for one of their major players like Marion who is reputedly on the block?

Do you remember when Pop told the squad that there was no 'saviour' out there on the trading block and the team they had was what they'd have to win the championship with? And they did!

They may tinker around with Beno and Barry trades, but the FO obviously thinks they have a pretty good team.
:clap :clap :clap

[ShoogarBear]

That's an interesting point about the Bulls teams that repeated with their rosters virtually intact. It makes me feel a little better about going through next season with the same roster.

On the other hand, given all the inaccuracies already proven, that probably needs to be confirmed, too.

[spursfan09]

NO REPEAT!!

maybe one day when the Cavs make it back to the Finals. They will win at least a game.

[spursfan09]

Oh yeah, and about the Hill thing. I think he possibly could of struggled for playing time here on the Spurs and he thought Suns offered more of an oppurtunity for that. It's not a stretch for him to think that he can win it all with the Suns, but ofcourse he is not the missing piece at all.

[clubalien]

when the surs fail to repeat yet again it is going to be one reason


they failed to improve their team.. not saying rebuild just improve other teams will be gunning for spurs

te surs were to cheap to add Grant hill this guy is better than lebron james and lebron basicaly by himself got the cavs t the nba finals

you should never turn down talent like that to save money we aren't the clips. if we could add KG, kobe without traidng assets just like Grant hill basicaly the undespoited heir to jordan the managment needs to just pay the luxry tax

[Walton Buys Off Me]

Honestly, who gives a shit about Grant Hill?! This is retarded for Christ sake.

Talk about a slow news week when the signing of Grant "I haven't played a full season in seven years" Hill makes news. If the Spurs went out and signed Oliver Miller, would that be noteworthy?

Typical dumb personnel move by a bushleague organization. As long as Mike D'Antoni is at the healm of that team, I lose no sleep worrying about them.